Roadworthiness of your vehicle is an absolute must when you apply for a new van insurance quote. The older the vehicle, usually, means the cheaper the cover quote. But you will not be insured at all if you van fails its MoT.

With the recent improvements in technology with onboard management systems electronically controlling everything from the cab temperature to fuel consumption, the existing UK MoT was due a overhaul in line with the leaps and bounds we have seen in recent times. If you’ve been for your van MoT already this year, you’ll have seen a few categories therein new to the clipboard tick sheet as the mechanics gave your van a clean bill of health or found something you weren’t expecting to have to repair that’s not been there before.

That will be because of amendments made to the base MoT test for cars and light commercial vehicles made by the European Commission to ensure that all critical components that govern a car or van’s performance are duly checked every year, once the vehicle has surpassed the tender age of three.  Passenger transport vehicles, namely buses and coaches, along with heavy goods vehicles, will also have revamps to their base test in line with new technology.

Many of the new articles that will appear on the revised MoT are indeed electrical; it may seem that there is more to trip the van driver up on but, some of the components that are now included do actually contribute to your eligibility for cheaper van insurance, so it is worthwhile having he new inspection.

It would be a terrible shame if you were to be involved in an incident and your van insurance didn’t pay out because the component attributed to be at fault, whatever that was, had not been inspected correctly to the new EU legislation guidelines.

Vans registered after the first of January this year will have the mandatory three year wait but any registered prior to the beginning of the year will be subjected to the tests when next your MoT is due.

One word of warning – some of the components on the new MoT checklist are extremely expensive to replace if they fail after their warranty has expired. If you are considering buying a new van with the latest all singing and dancing electronic controls, it may be worth investigating beforehand how much some of the articles are to replace that you cannot legally drive without or would make your van insurance null and void if dysfunctional by checking the full list of items now governed by the UK MoT.

If you’ve ever had your articles stolen from the back of your van whilst on site or parked up overnight and you’ve only had third party cover on your van insurance, there has always been a body dedicated to freight crime that you can turn to.

With the new trend of motorway pirates on the up, waiting to relieve you of your van’s contents even when you’re parked up on the A5 just for a cuppa and a bacon sandwich to get your day off to a heart start, it has been a comfort to know that Truckpol have been there to fight your corner. Specially manufactured components or prized possessions even the best van insurance cannot replace as well as having the articles that were stolen back in your possession.

However, this department is no longer funded by the public purse and has relied heavily over the last year on donations from the private sector. Since its inception in 2003, following the closure of its predecessor the National Stolen Lorry Load Desk, it has remained the only organisation involved in the collation and providing accurate, up-to-date statistical data about the levels of Truck crime on UK roads.

As the private sector are buckling their belt with the economy still looking so uncertain, there is a grave lack of funding being donated to Truckpol, who are in danger of folding without the aid further financial resource being made available to them. The information they provide does not solely act as a report that presents a set of figures that say: look how bad the UK’s truck crime figures are. Their findings are used to highlight ways in which truck crime prevention can be nipped in the bud.

The basis of their findings have contributed to many of the safety features and warnings we now take for granted. Without the availability of such security devices as immobilisers and steering locks and the development of real-time digital cameras used in road traffic assessment, truck and van insurance premiums would be rising at an even greater rate. The Road Haulage Association chief exec Geoff Dunning said the organisation would be sorely missed, should it disappear and truck crime prevention be put back ten years, so strong has their influence been.

As such, the RHA are combining their efforts with the Freight Transport Association to help sustain the department. Theo de Pencier, FTA chief exec also acknowledged the role highlighting how Truckpol had played its part in protecting vulnerable sectors of the freight sector from criminal gangs, which has helped us all retain cheaper van insurance policies than there would have been if these levels of crime had not been identified and made preventable.

All the signs point to the unveiling of a new Mercedes Benz van in the very near future. At the Design Centre, Sindelfingen, the ‘Citan’ formed part of a seminar aimed at highlighting the Mercedes brand and how that recognition could be fitted into the ergonomics of city driving.

The name is believed to have been derived from a combination of city and titan, clearly a message by the German manufacturer that they’re not taking the responsibility of adapting to changes for large cities logistical requirements lightly. As Euro 3 and Euro 5 legislation starts to dictate what models of commercial vehicle businesses who operate in the city are in the market for, Mercedes want to be a large part of that trade.

Currently, the light commercial vehicle market in Europe is heading towards three quarters of a million units. What Mercedes are aiming for is a share of between 4-5% of the sector. One thing is for sure, with the quality and reliability that is inherent with the brand, it will be interesting to see how the van insurance firms react to the Citan, when it is placed alongside the Bippers, new Kangoo ZE‘s and the smaller Berlingos. Will van drivers sacrifice their cheap van insurance policies on the established models for the luxury and status of driving a Merc to work, every day?

Well, if Mercedes realise the share that they believe they can capture with the release of this new van, 35,000 units based on the available figures of the current market, that’s a lot of van drivers who have to be tempted.

According to Volker Mornhinweg, however, it seems as if Mercedes have already taken into account the sensitive nature of budgets that businesses across Europe are still envisaging for the foreseeable future. City vans and minivans continue to grow in popularity and the price tag for the Citan will reflect this, combined with what the German auto giants believe the product can support for their name.

With the addition of around the clock customer service and breakdown call-out, Volker hopes that this Mercedes brand, after sales service and the competitive price will help achieve the sales that were forecast at the conference.

Like the much-loved Berlingo, the Citan will have one base product, a panel van, but can be configured into a crew-carrying version when bought from new (although described as a minibus, it will attract the same potential customers) and also comes in different lengths and payload capacities to suit the buyers’ business needs. However, it is expected to be more of a sturdy beast than its French counterpart, with a lot of space within the back of the van given over to space, despite the conservative dimensions.

In line with the LEZ and other major cities adopting Euro 3 levels for their maximum permitted CO2 levels there will be a fuel-efficient, low-emission diesel version, a standard petrol, the branded BlueEFFICIENCY maximum mpg version and there are plans to roll out an battery-powered electric driven van later on, too, possibly to rival the Kangoo, which seems to be the EV that looks like being the van to break the market if any one can.

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There is nothing like using the product to promote it, and that’s exactly what’s happened in one outlet of the Renault Trucks UK network. The French company, who have already won accolades for their above-average customer service levels have raised the bar higher as Renault Truck Commercials, the biggest franchise within the Renault Trucks UK supply chain, have invested over a quarter of a million pounds to ensure levels are not only maintained but surpassed in customer service and after sales services.

The fleet of new commercial vehicles, totalling £300,000 all told, comprises the Renault Master van and the Kangoo. The clever bit in this investment is getting the Kangoo out into the hands of customers who may as yet have reservations about electric vehicles. The new fleet will not only be used for their own ferrying to and from breakdown sites and services but will be offered out to customers as sixteen of them are destined to be courtesy vans in the result of a breakdown. Good news for anyone who has not taken this aspect out as an ancillary to their base van insurance policy.

Thirteen Kangoos will be used in this manner with the balance of courtesy vehicles being the Master van. At this moment, it is planned for them to be spread across the Renault Truck Commercial group’s eleven dealerships in Wales and England.

One Kangoo and three Masters will be utilised solely for the delivery of parts, making sure that customers never have to wait long for a component to arrive between services or in case of a breakdown. You will see them coming as all twenty two vehicles are kitted out in the franchise’s stand out branding and logos.

Why Renault has won so many awards for its customer service is summed up perfectly by Christophe Blazere. When it comes to running your business, time off the road means lost profit, whether it’s through stopping you getting to a job or paying out for a breakdown. You can cover the cost of your replacement components with a vehicle breakdown addition to your commercial vehicle cover but lost time is not something that you can peg back, no matter how good your van insurance policy is. Renault, and Christophe, understand this completely which is why it is imperative that they appreciate their customers’ need to “keep their business moving.”

That really is at the heart of Renault Truck Commercial’s drive to be the best network in the UK under the Renault Trucks banner. With 230 staff covering everything from servicing of LCV’s up to parts for 120 ton trucks, there is little they can’t tell you about the French standard bearer’s presence here in the UK.

For a cheap van insurance quote to go with your Renault, or any other brand of light commercial vehicle, compare from over 60 van insurance firms using our To see how much you could save on your next van insurance quote, choose from over 60 insurance firms using our bespoke online form.

Citroen have, in the past, developed an unwarranted reputation in the UK of manufacturing cars and vans that were not exactly substantial. Any driver of an age will scoff when you mention the 2CV, a much ridiculed car, but quietly smile inside with a certain fondness at its amiability.

The French manufacturers have come a long way since those ‘pram on wheels’ days, with the AX GT a much sought-after boy-racer car in the late eighties, early nineties. And the Picasso is an absolute best-seller the world over in more modern times.

Their van enjoys a similar demand (although from an altogether different market) in as much as the Berlingo is a model that does exactly what it says on the tin, and then some. It truly is a light commercial vehicle , with engines designed to maximise fuel efficiency to suit your business and fleet budget, taking into consideration ongoing fuel costs and fleet van insurance outlay. There is also a choice of petrol or turbo diesel fuel and manual, stop-start or EGS gearboxes which you can choose when you’re configuring your van to further help you derive the best from performance to stay on top of your costs.

There are also a whole host of features that you can tag on, many of them that van insurers will be looking out for. To help you save further on your van insurance and improve you visibility, there are configurations for the bulkhead to improve visibility available, rear parking sensors to avoid any van insurance claims for backing into someone and an alarm pack for £330 which will, over the life of the van, no doubt pay for itself.

If you’re looking for a van that, like the 2CV or Picasso, stands out physically as being different from other vehicles in its class, you won’t find this in the Berlingo. In either the panel-van or crew-carrying versions, it is just what you’d expect to see in a light commercial vehicle. The bonus with the popular Citroen van is the space you get for the money, especially if you go for the longer of the two models currently on the market (3.7m compared to 3.3m).

If this sounds like a minivan that would do justice to your business, it may be worth holding fire for a short  while as the standard crew-carrying version is due a facelift and its about to get one. Improvements in headlight configuration with LEDs as an optional extra are on the cards as well as a more prominent radiator grill. Internally, and perhaps why the amendments are only scheduled for the passenger version Multispace, higher grade materials and new, chic colours are being incorporated into the choices when buying new.

The model will no way rival the AX GT for pulling (off) power, nor will it be quite as luxuriant as the Picasso. But, if you’re looking for a van that’s fuel efficient, tasteful and likely to avail you of cheap van insurance, you could do much worse than the Berlingo.